Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 20, 2017 11 UNDER THE DOME Turnaround Is Fair Play Quick-fix solutions to problems are always in demand, but not always in supply. Nevertheless, in college football it's not often a far distance from the outhouse to penthouse, or vice versa. Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly was able to reflect on that during the week of preparation for the clash at Miami Nov. 11. Just a little more than a year earlier on Oct. 29, 2016, at Notre Dame Stadium, the Fighting Irish eked out a 30-27 victory over the Hurricanes after kicker Justin Yoon converted a short field goal with 30 seconds remaining in the contest. Notre Dame still was only 3-5 — and would finish 4-8 — while Miami dropped to 4-4. How the mighty from the epic 1987-90 series had fallen. Yet for the Nov. 11 meeting this year, the series once again had national title implications on the line. Notre Dame was 8-1 and No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Miami was 8-0 and boasted the longest winning streak (13) in the Football Bowl Subdivision. When asked what he can attribute to the dramatic turnaround, Kelly chuckled. "Fans could be more patient — I'm sure that's not the answer you wanted," Kelly replied. "I would just say that in college football, with 85 scholarships and the ability for teams to invest in player development, it's really important to so many institutions that everybody's got a fair shot at being competitive year in and year out." Kelly had seen his fair share of fluctuations himself. He began his career at Notre Dame 4-5, and then ended that same year 4-0. After winning only 16 of his first 26 games, he went on the 12-0 regular season run in 2012. His 2014 team was 1-5 in its final six regular-season games, and then went 11-1 in the next 12 contests. To get to "program" status, back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time since 1991-93 would be a pretty good start. Head coach Brian Kelly has seen his fair share of fluctuations during his tenure at Notre Dame, with the latest being this year's 8-1 start after a 4-8 campaign in 2016. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL Holy Cross Village is a continuing care retirement community, sponsored by the Brothers of Holy Cross, with a tradition of caring, compassion and trust. Holy Cross Village welcomes people of all faiths. 54515 State Rd., 933 North, Notre Dame, IN 46556 www.holycrossvillage.com ... AND ENJOY THE GAME OF LIFE AT HOLY CROSS VILLAGE I magine making new friends and developing new talents, where everything you need to enjoy the game of life is right outside your front door. Nestled among three institutions of higher learning, Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame is a senior living community unlike anything else around. Our warm and inviting community offers: Independent Living Homes and Apartments Assisted Living Apartments Skilled Nursing Memory Care Rehabilitation Services Call (574) 251-2235 today for more information and to schedule a tour.